"Why do non-Christians come here?" Here's why -

Are you saying believers are ignorant? Personally, I associate with all types, so not sure what you mean by exclusivity. I do understand that there is
a lot of things Christian in society in court, etc. I have heard court cases where witnesses were swore in on the Quran too.

But the comparison in you OP of Christians to Santa say a lot. Everyone over 10 knows that is a story. However, that is not necessarily the case with
believers in God. I guess it is up to each individual. I say I could care less because I have died twice in my life and know better. However, the
experience doesn't jive with any particular dogma, but the reality of a universal consciousness that I think religions try to explain.

Regardless, I could see joining in on discussions of evangelism as atheists always claim they don't want people to hear one side and not the other.
Joining in on a theological debate among believers really makes no sense. I doubt anyone that is a believer really cares if you do or don't I
wouldn't. It just seems an odd thing to do if you don't believe as it is a discussion among whatever religion about their beliefs, not whether any of
them believe or not.

I am saying that many ATS members who post in this forum seem to think that their topic is somehow "exclusive" and only to be addressed by like-minded
people.....
they think they can shoo away people who aren't believers.

I've read that question so many times ("If you don't believe and don't care, why do you come here?!") and today found an article by someone who
explained it beautifully.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
If you post a topic in this forum, ALL MEMBERS are free to respond/reply/participate in it.

Yes indeed, I don't dispute that.
But I have observed, from time to time, that some members like to stretch the definition of "participating in a topic" to include "talking about a
completely different topic".

Personally, I would not dump on Christians, Muslims or anyone's beliefs. I understand the place of religion in humanity in many ways. Even Marx with
all his zeal and power of argument, swaying the USSR, China and many other parts of the world, lost his battle of subjugating religion and his was a
failed attempt at wiping it out of civilization.I think it may have well been and still largely is a natural phenomenon in humans as a psychological
need. Our age is very iconoclastic; I was going to say more than ever before, but I check myself because really it has always been like this. Cultures
invaded cultures and destroyed Gods and Goddesses, wiping them from memory and replacing them with their more powerful deities who proved their might
in battle. Evolution is still at work in us, not just physically, but mentally and psychologically. Perhaps we are slowly evolving out of this
religious period? It has been a very male dominated spiritual and cultural age since the Patriarchal religions took over just about all of humanity.

Sometimes I think we are unravelling because we have reached an ending as a species. Sometimes I think we are just undergoing a huge and rapid
progress in our evolution because we need to change quickly as the earth can't afford for us to continue the way we have lived because there are too
many of us to behave as we have traditionally. I am surprised that nature somehow has given us such power and has not kept us in environmental balance
and check like the other species. It is like we are too successful. We are incredibly aggressive and murderous as a species yet have managed to reach
this scale of world population. It is all a little strange and does not in appearance make logical sense.

OP, you make a good point. I was hard on you a couple of times about this issue in threads. I am sorry about that. I was only concerned that the human
dignity of relationship with people who do have a religion be maintained. I am happy to communicate with all religions, spirituality, atheism and
science, too. These days I am seeing the whole of the human experience as a diversity. If our current level of communication is maintained across the
earth I think evolution will find the very fittest of the fittest ways of us living together in better balance if we are to survive. That may be by
means of the usual adaptation and competition.

I enjoy the religion thread because I enjoy learning and finding out about other points of view.
I have seen people become very antagonistic on both sides of the religion thread and it is sad because I have seen some really good/informative
threads go into the proverbial toilet.

I hate to ask questions because I have seen others ask and be ridiculed, at times, and dismissed, at times. I am fearless but, I certainly don't think
hostility and anger are conducive to any of us learning from another's point of view. (You and I have had our times, haven't we...LOL

)

I don't completely "get"the Santa analogy but, it is food for thought none the less...

I think the point is that if Christians are discussing something among themselves about their religion, it makes no sense why one would need to
interject their disbelief, etc. I don't think believers really care what non-believers think, so I guess it is a curiosity only.

Interesting response.

So, by extrapolation......

if ISIS members are discussing something among themselves about their religion,
then there's no sense in anyone needing to interject their disbelief....
right?

after reading your OP over again it appears to only address atheists, i'm a satanist. i am somewhat curious why and had the thought that even though
it is the opposite theres an assumption of belief still there?

The article is 'addressing' Christians who complain that non-believers clutter up their forums and threads........
It is speaking to them - those Christians who think if someone is not "Christian", they are not worthy of attention, and are like flies in the
room....to be swatted away (preferrably, exterminated).
You can be a Buddhist, or a Satanist, or a Wiccan, or whatever. Those groups don't often get "challenged" as to why they might participate
here.....

mostly it's people who are "Christians" challenging those who say "I'm an atheist" or "I'm an agnostic"...and are dismissed as having nothing worth
saying or reading.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs
It is like the people who believe try to push their beliefs on those who don't.
Then you have the people who don't believe try to push their beliefs on those that do.
That's what I see for the most part.
Live and let live...............its not that hard.

Bingo.
Thank you.
Except - there's this little speed-bump ---- parents are currently indoctrinating their kids into one or another 'religious' mindset that requires
they shut their ears and eyes to other ideas.

And yet, they ask, "Why? Why do you come here if you don't care and don't believe?"

a reply to: spirit_horse
It appears that I was misled my entire young life while "in the church" and my parents were wrong as well!
This is an odd statement to me.

I don't think believers really care what non-believers think, so I guess it is a curiosity only

I was raised/taught that one should go into the world and "preach" the gospels, to make non believers believers, and to win souls.
I remember something about when "everyone in the world has heard the gospel" then the end (of the current world) would come.
I also wonder why then aren't the early Sunday morning religious broadcasts on a "pay per view" type cable setting where only those folks who believe
can watch. If it wasn't important to "get the message out" to non believers why the Bible drops and missionaries to other countries?

I see thanks for clarifying. I do agree with you that they have as much a right to express their thoughts on their belief or lack of, if you ask my
opinion if all these xtians and others that get so upset or irritated over a nonbelievers thoughts they most likely have a weak faith in their higher
being to begin with

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